


take care of you

by bellestar



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, But mostly fluff and sweetness, Comfort, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Devoted Reylo, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Prompt Fill, Rey takes care of Ben, Reylo - Freeform, Tiny bit of Angst, soft and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:49:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24031549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellestar/pseuds/bellestar
Summary: Ben has a bad day and Rey wants nothing more than to take care of him.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 93
Kudos: 490
Collections: Reylo Prompt Fills (@reylo_prompts)





	take care of you

**Author's Note:**

> From [@Reylo Prompts](https://twitter.com/reylo_prompts):  
> "Rey's boyfriend had a bad day so she cooks his favorite food, offers to wash his hair and cuddle him; to her shock Ben starts crying - no one ever has been so nice to him."
> 
> Moodboard commissioned by the wonderful [@driversputa!](https://twitter.com/driversputa)

She notices it the moment he walks into her apartment after work. It’s subtle, but the way the door shuts just a little bit harder tells her that something is different. It’s not unusual for him to come straight over to her place after work; in fact, he’s over so often that she’s sort of joked about him moving in with her. 

He could move in tomorrow if he wanted to; she would love that. She’s already cleared out space for his things in her closet, whenever he’s ready.

Rey pushes those thoughts away when she looks up from the couch and turns to see Ben walk into the living room. His messenger bag hits the floor with a loud thud as he blows out a sigh. Her book gets tossed to the coffee table as she stands up to greet him. Ben’s already loosened his navy blue tie as he works to shrug off the matching suit jacket.

“Hey, handsome,” she says softly, hoping the endearment will bring a smile to his face. She tries not to be disappointed when he lifts his head up as he’s tugging the tie down from the crisp white shirt collar with a frown.

“Hey, sweetheart.” The usual sweet infection in his tone is nowhere to be found; Ben sounds like he is a million miles away from the living room where they stand. Rey can usually find warmth in his hazel eyes, but when she looks into his sullen face, she can only find pools of sadness mixed with anger.

She gets on tiptoe to kiss his lips gently before she pulls away to rest a hand on his cheek. “Are you okay?”

Ben shakes his head as the suit jacket is shucked from his shoulders and tossed to the back of the couch. “Just a bad, bad day at work,” he mutters. 

Ben works for a consulting firm – once believed to be his dream job, he told her – and for months he’s been put under a great deal of pressure from his boss, Allen Snoke. It doesn’t help that Ben also deals with conniving co-workers; a guy named Hux is the worst of them. Rey has encouraged him to quit the firm, but he always insists that he stick it out. Too good an opportunity, a great learning experience…many excuses fall from his lips when she brings it up.

But tonight is the worst she has seen him come from work. Everyone has a bad day or two, but his job is sucking the life from him. 

Rey hasn’t said anything to him, but she really misses the Ben she first met months ago when they randomly bumped into one another at the coffee shop where she likes to write sometimes. She doesn’t often hear that deep, rich laugh that brings a toothy smile across his face. He’s distracted even when they are simply laying on the couch and watching a movie. He turns down opportunities to hang out with their friends on weekends in exchange for working on reports for Snoke.

Rey has remained patient, waiting is something she’s awfully good at doing, and Ben is worth waiting for. He’s worth the time she has spent working to get past his walls and be invited into his life. Ben has loved and cherished her more than anyone ever has, and it’s time that he really lets her do the same for him.

She pushes some of his hair away from his eyes and smiles at him warmly. He may object to this idea, but tonight, she’s going to take the reins.

“Ben? Why don’t you go get undressed?” She waits for him to have something to say about that, but he only nods his head. Work must have been a real killer for him, and her heart sinks at the thought of him continuing to work at such an awful place.

“I think I’ve left some clothes here, right?” he asks, already heading back toward her bedroom. Rey looks over her shoulder to watch him disappear through the doorway. 

“Yeah, just check the third drawer,” she calls back as she steps into the kitchen. Her mind begins to catalogue the items she has in the pantry. Rey scolds herself for not doing her grocery run today. She doesn’t have much in the way of dinner since she was planning to order take out, but she remembers she at least has enough to make one of his favorite meals.

Rey has her back turned as she searches her cabinets when he walks up quietly behind her. Ben has changed into a pair of jeans and one of his old college tees that she insisted he keep here for “just in case.” He raises his brows when she grabs a pot and begins to fill it with water.

“We can just do takeout; I don’t want you to have to cook for us,” he tells her. Rey gives him a small shrug before she puts the pot of water on the stove to boil and begins to search for noodles, garlic and sauce.

“I want to make you dinner,” she replies as she steals a glance at him. “I’m going to make spaghetti, if that’s okay?”

“Um, yeah, that’s fine. But, Rey, really, you—”

“Ben, I want to do this for you.” Once she’s gathered the ingredients she needs, she pauses to step over and lay her hands across his chest. “Ben, let me take care of you tonight.”

A storm begins to form over his features; his brow knits together closely as he works his jaw. “Wh..what do you mean?”

“I mean let me take care of you. Let me make you some dinner and maybe…” she runs a hand through his hair. The silky strains slip through her fingers with ease, and she has to stop herself from gently tugging it. “If you want, I can try to help you relax. But for now, go chill out on the couch while I make us dinner.” She playfully shoos him from the kitchen so she can get to work. 

Spaghetti is simple enough, and she wishes she had more on hand to make a more elaborate meal. Ben told her once that this was one of his favorite meals, and she hopes it’ll be enough to lift his spirits a little tonight.

Time passes quickly as she cooks and prepares their dishes. She may not have had all the things she needs to make her own sauce, but with the garlic and extra seasonings, it’ll still be tasty. She grins to herself when she finds a bottle of wine. While digging in a drawer for the wine opener, she finds a couple of left-over candlesticks from the first time they had a date night in her apartment. 

Rey had lit candles for the dinner table for effect, but Ben had other things on his mind that night. He had made sure he had dessert before dinner when he picked her up to put her on the counter and buried his face between her legs. She still grows weak in the knees when she thinks about it.

She decides to light the candles and place them on the table. Rey begins to work the corkscrew of the wine bottle when she feels Ben walk up behind her.

“Here, let me,” he tells her gently as he takes the wine bottle and opening and works the cork out with a pop. Rey smiles up at him when he hands the bottle to her.

“Dinner’s ready, if you’d like to join me.” He glances to the table and she can hear his breath catch.

“This looks and smells great,” Ben says softly as she motions for him to take a seat. Rey pours each of them a glass of red wine before taking her seat across from him. She watches as a small smile curls on his lips.

“Thank you,” he says earnestly when his eyes lock with hers. She’s not sure if it’s the candlelight, but Rey thinks his eyes shimmer with unshed tears before they both begin to eat dinner. 

It’s not rocket science when it comes to making spaghetti, but when Rey sees how Ben is eating dinner and making cute noises in appreciation, her heart beats louder in her ears. Dinner passes quietly as Rey tells him about her day; she’s been working as a freelance writer which gives her the chance to write about a variety of topics. 

Ben listens intently, and he asks questions that make her ponder about what she’s researching and writing. It’s one of the many things that she loves about him; he challenges her and holds her writing talent and passions in the highest regard. Ben always knows just what to say to make her believe in herself like he believes in her.

She doesn’t tell him enough about what he means to her; she’s going to have to show him instead.

**

When dinner is finished and the bottle of wine is empty, they quietly wash and put away the dishes. When the last dish is placed in the dish drainer, Rey turns to find Ben’s hand to give it a gentle squeeze.

“Come follow me to the bathroom,” she says softly. His eyes narrow and his brows raise in question. Ben follows her without a word as she mentally prepares for what she wants to do for him next.

Her bathroom and shower are much smaller than his; it’s about the only complaint she has ever heard from him about where she lives. But for tonight, it’ll be fine. Pulling back the bright, fabric shower curtain, Rey turns the shower on, testing the temperature before turning to face Ben.

“If you’re trying to tell me I need to shower because I smell—”

“I think a shower will help wash away the stress.” Rey motions for him to remove his clothing. His lips curve into a small smirk.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she says with a laugh. “But I have another idea.”

As he pulls the tee over his head, Rey reminds herself _that_ is not what she has him in the shower for right now. Ben is so devilishly handsome that she sometimes can’t believe that of all the women in the world, he wants to be with her.

His clothes fall to the floor as she gathers the towels, the room filling with steam. Wordlessly, he steps into the shower and is about to pull the curtain when Rey begins to peel her clothes off. She steps into the shower behind him to find his head under the pouring shower head.

Rey and Ben have showered together before, many times in fact. Tonight’s shower feels different from the times before when Ben has lifted her up so she can wrap her legs around him. The usual dark pools of desire that she sees in his eyes when they are so close together like this are nowhere to be found. When she runs her hands down his neck and shoulders, she feels the tension in his muscles.

“Ben? Can I…” she motions with her hands to indicate she wants to massage his skin. He turns his back to her, the spray of the water cascading over their bodies as she steps forward and begins to gently knead her hands over his shoulder blades.

He drops his head forward as Rey’s fingers press and roll out the knots. Her eyes move over his back like she’s trying to fit the pieces of a puzzle back together. Her fingertips linger over the moles and freckles that dot his skin. With every muscle that she rolls against her palms and grips with her fingers, Rey feels him take in sharp breaths. Ben remains still under the shower as she presses against his bare skin to plant gentle kisses between his shoulders. She can feel him relax with each passing wave of her hands. 

Rey reaches behind her to pour shampoo in her hands. On tiptoe, she rubs the soap between her hands to form a lather and begins to run it through his inky black hair. When he realizes what she’s doing, Ben takes a step away from the shower head, turning to face her, and crouches slightly so she can better reach. Her fingers work and massage his scalp gently, careful not to let the lather fall into his face. Rey takes her time running her fingers over his temples and doesn’t notice how his eyes are locked onto her face.

“Rey?” his voice rumbles deep in his throat. Her hands stop at the nape of his neck as she looks back at him.

“I-I…I’ve never had anyone do this for me,” he admits brokenly. She presses a kiss to his forehead before guiding him back to under the shower head. Suds and lather rinse over his face and down his body as Rey’s fingers gently rake through the wet strands of his hair. Rey doesn’t know quite what to say to this admission, so she does what she feels is best.

She squirts body soap into her hands and begins to wash his skin. Rey imagines that as her hands run over every crevice and muscle of his body that she’s erasing away the stresses and worries of his day. She notices how he’s relaxed his jaw as her hands run down the column of his throat before moving further down his chest and stomach.

The feel of his bare, wet skin causes goosebumps to form as she continues to wash and rinse his body. Rey has gotten to know his body well in the months since they have started dating, She knows how much he hates his ears, but when she kisses and breathes against the shell of his ear, he turns into putty in her hands. She’s committed to memory where every scar is across his arms and stomach. She knows that just below his left hip, she can tickle him and he will laugh so loudly that she can hear it for days. 

As the water begins to cool, Rey straightens to reach around him to turn off the shower. As he bends down, she thinks that he may kiss her, but Ben wraps his arms around her tightly. She rests her head against his chest, his heartbeat pounding wildly. He tips his head to press a kiss to the crown of her hair.

“I didn’t get a chance to wash you,” he murmurs, the sadness she hears causing her heart to break a little.

“This is for you,” she reassures him with a gentle kiss before reaching outside the shower curtain to grab a towel. “Come on, let’s get dry.”

**

He’s wearing only his briefs when they crawl into bed. She’s managed to slip on one of his shirts when she finishes toweling her hair dry. The bed is soft and cozy when they both settle in side by side. Rey opens her arms out to Ben, and he doesn’t hesitate to wrap himself around her. His face is buried in the side of her neck.

The sweet smell of the shampoo fills her nose, his damp hair tickling her chin as she adjusts to him. She’s usually the one nestled under his chin, but the feeling of him being like this with her is good. Her fingers trail and trace circles through his hair. Ben hasn’t told her what made the day so bad for him, but as he breathes in deeply, and she feels his nose nuzzle along her neck, it doesn’t matter what happened. Just as long as he feels safe and comforted here in her bed, in her arms.

The sudden sniffle takes her by surprise. His grip tightening around her brings her attention to look down at him past his tousled curls. Rey feels the tears before he chokes on a sob. Alarmed, she pulls back to look into his face.

“Ben? Ben, what is it?” she asks, concerned. His eyes are red and brimming with tears as he takes in a shaky breath. He wipes his cheeks with the back of his hand, avoiding her gaze.

“Sorry, sorry, it’s…” he clears his throat. “I’ve…just never had anyone…take care of me like this.” His voice is hoarse with tears. She cradles his face in her hands, her thumbs gently caressing his cheeks.

“You’re too good for me, Rey,” he swallows thickly, a tear escaping as it slides down his cheek. “I don’t know what I’ve done to be here with you.”

She smiles sadly as she holds his gaze. They both have gone through so much in their lives. Rey has told him about how she was bounced from foster home to foster home as a child and has struggled with not having a family to call her own. 

While Ben’s parents are still alive, he doesn’t stay in close contact with them. He’s opened up to her about how he often felt alone as a child. His mother was always working late, and his father had trouble connecting with him. Ben knows they love him, but he can relate to Rey’s feeling of being wanted by someone. 

To be cared for and loved unconditionally.

“You deserve to be here, with me,” she whispers. “Ben, no matter what you’re going through, no matter what happens, I’m always going to be here for you. I love you…so, so much.”

He sniffles again, managing to give her a sad smile. “I love you, too. I love you more than anything, Rey.” Ben pushes himself forward to kiss her lips before pulling away and resting his head on her chest again.

Rey shifts slightly to pull him tighter to her, pressing kisses to the crown of his head. His nose nuzzles against her neck, feeling soft kisses against her skin before she feels him let out a sigh. She returns her hands to his hair, threading her fingers through it when she feels his body completely relax against hers. Rey manages to slip over to turn off the bedside lamp and sink into the feeling of him.

She gazes down to look at his face, looking peaceful as he drifts off to sleep. Rey presses one last kiss to his head before closing her eyes, vowing that she will spend the rest of her days showing Ben Solo how much he is loved and cared for.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading this!
> 
> Special love and thank you to [Sophia_Ravencrest](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sophia_Ravencrest/pseuds/Sophia_Ravencrest), who is an amazing beta and cheerleader!
> 
> I'm also over at [twitter](https://twitter.com/bellestarreylo). Come say hi to me!


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